Fast-track new procurement law: NCCI

19 Apr 2017 17:20pm

WINDHOEK, 19 APR (NAMPA) - The Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has appealed to the new Central Procurement Board to fast-track the implementation of the new procurement legislation to avoid local business stagnating.
NCCI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tarah Shaanika made the appeal in a media statement on Wednesday.
He said his organisation has learnt that most Government institutions, including State-owned enterprises and local authorities, are now required to procure through the Central Procurement Board which replaced the Government Tender Board and various procurement authorities within State institutions as of 01 April 2017.
This has resulted in most major projects earmarked to be executed by various State institutions being put on hold to allow the new procurement law and its regulations to kick in.
The Public Procurement Act was signed by President Hage Geingob and gazetted in December 2015. The new legislation repealed the Tender Board Act and the Tender Board.
The new Central Procurement Board was announced by Minister of Finance Calle Schlettwein last month.
Shaanika is concerned that the process of implementing the new legislation, including putting in place the required administrative machinery, will delay a number of projects which in turn will result in business activities coming to a standstill.
This process is taking place at a time when Governments fiscal consolidation efforts resulted in the cancellation and suspension of some projects, as well as delayed payment to service providers by the State, the statement said.
It said this means that business activities have already been scaling down and any further delay in procuring more goods and services from businesses by the State and its companies will have serious negative consequences for business.
We are therefore appealing to the government, Ministry of Finance and the Central Procurement Board in particular to fast-track the process of implementing the new legislation and ensure that procurement of goods and services by the State and all its companies resume without much delay, the NCCI CEO said.
He further appealed to the Government to prioritise the payment of all outstanding debt owed to businesses in respect of goods supplied and services provided as it implements the new national budget.
(NAMPA)
SKE/AS/ND